A former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Bankole Solomon, has criticized the General Overseer of the church, Pastor E A Adeboye, for allowing politicians into their annual RCCG Holy Ghost congress.

This is Bankole Solomon's full statement:

"I know this post will attract a sharp condemnation because I worship in RCCG and I was once a pastor before I resigned voluntarily because of rights violations in the name of religion. I resigned in December 2010 but I am still worshiping there as an ordinary member. So, whatever I have here is without prejudice.

"Holy ghost congress of our great church is now a political congress where all shades of corrupt leaders will mount our altar to fool Nigerians on what they will do.

"Holy Ghost congress is now a supermarket where all kinds of people like charlatans and political opportunist come shopping turning God to father Christmas to give them end of the year bonus."Jonathan was even there turning our once sacred altar to political podium talking deceitfully and indirectly campaigning for 2015. My question is this? On what ground was president Jonathan allowed to speak to people. Is he a pastor? Because the gathering is purely a spiritual gathering and event.

"I've been a pastor in Redeemed for the past 10 years and I've not got any opportunity to sit on that altar not to talk of holding mic. If because Jonathan is a President and he is recognized, it means some are more equal than others.

"Immediately I left camp on Saturday morning, I looked at the camp very well because I know that would be the last time I will set my foot to that Eagle Square called Redeemed camp."

Good afternoon sir,I read through your post and really became distressed by some of the things I noted.

The name Bankole actually does not ring a bell but he won my admiration when I read that he voluntarily decided to resign as a pastor despite it's inherent benefits.

But despite my sentiments, I believe his decision to resign is not a good one. It is one thing to resign due to age or il-health and anotheer to resign due to some personal ish. One might be tempted to ask why he became a pastor in the first place. Was he convinced that he got the call from God or he just wanted to try his hands on it?

I believe he would have been able to fight the wrongs better as a pastor. This has to do with correcting a brother who he feels has done wrong. Paul was faced with the same situation in his time but he preferred to stay and correct rather than go to hide somewhere because of his personal grouse.

Galatians 2:11-14

"11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him in public, because he was clearly wrong. 12 Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there, Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers. But after these men arrived, he drew back and would not eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them. 13 The other Jewish believers also started acting like cowards along with Peter; and even Barnabas was swept along by their cowardly action. 14 When I saw that they were not walking a straight path in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile, not like a Jew. How, then, can you try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?”

"I've been a pastor in Redeemed for the past 10 years and I've not got any opportunity to sit on that altar not to talk of holding mic. If because Jonathan is a President and he is recognized, it means some are more equal than others."

Pastor Bankole, I've been in RCCG since 1984, my father became a full Pastor in 1992. Up until 2009, I never saw him minister on the altar and he probably never did. Some Pastors who have been in RCCG before the General Overseer have never ministered on that altar.

In reality though this statement of yours has only betrayed an underlying issue beyond whether it was right or not for GEJ to have been treated to a VIP status on the church altar. Is this criticism about you or about Jonathan?

When we criticise Pastors openly (and an older one at that) we flout a admonition in the Bible where Paul said Timothy (and any other minister) should not rebuke an elder, but call him aside and admonish him with the assistance of other elders in the church.

(Breaking that rule as a necessity) I fault your opinion on the treatment of GEJ. For long christianity in NIGERIA has been an ostrich head in the sand so far as politics is concerned. Our apolitical stance almost cost us a secular republic in 1985 - but it has cost us a secular costitution with an increasingly vocal fundamentalist Islamic movement to boot. (In any case we are a member of the OIC, remember?). We failed to insist on reflecting our values in national policies and now see what Nigeria has become to us... Even the Bible testifies of the positive influence of Christianity on Cornelius and Nero (Ceasar's household in the last chapter of Romans). We need all the influence we can get to call leaders to order and influence them to pursue policies that reflect the secularist, equitable and minority protecting perspective of our christian population.

Let us avoid confusing the general public on matters of christianity as there are more than enough enemies for us to handle already - within and without.

The church has turned itself into a political apologist centre... All these dump thieving politicians running to the church when they want to win votes/sympathy of the people after looting the treasury dry... The sad thing is these so called respected "men of God" continue to allow it...

Until these "men of gods" learn to seperate the world from the church this will continue to happen. I'd rather fellowship alone in my house these days, the church has just become a bowl of confusion for confused people...

This Bankole man should pls focus on his callin if he hz one.If he knows he is nt ok wt d practices of RCCG he shld either leave d church 2 another or go start his own.Wht is wrong wt the president of a nation given d mic 2 speak in camp?There are pastors dt hv spent less time in RCCG dt hv bn given d mic in redemption camp because they hv washd their hands clean nd so cld eat wt Elders!Why is ds man so concerned about bn given a mic to preach in camp than d salvation of his soul?I am sure he resigned as a pastor cos he wasn't given mic 2 preach in camp-what a shame!

I don't think it's okay to give a man who has spent the entire year lying and being disdainful to the safety and well being of the people who elected him, the opportunity to stand on a pulpit and use God to fool those same people